1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally directed to tie down or anchoring systems by way of which automobile luggage racks and carriers are secured to the roof of conventional automotive vehicles and, more particularly, to brackets which are designed to be used with conventional automotive vehicles of the type which do not have rain or drip gutters associated therewith above the door line and where the upper edge of the door is generally coextensive with the adjacent roof line and wherein the brackets are designed to engage a portion of the door frame at a point between the frame and the upper portion of the door below the weather seal located along the upper edge of the door.
2. History of the Related Art
There are numerous carriers and racks which have been specifically designed for use with automotive vehicles. In some instances, the racks are directly mounted or bolted to the vehicle roof and are common on many station wagons and vans. However, there are also numerous types of carriers and racks which are portable and designed to be selectively attached to the roof of automotive vehicles whenever it becomes necessary to transport luggage or other articles such as skis, bicycles, trunks, building supplies, and other materials. Conventional portable automotive roof racks and carriers include support beams which are mounted to somewhat resilient supports which serve to protect the finish of the vehicle from damage during use of the racks. The outer ends of the support beams generally includes a flexible attachment strap having outer ends which include a hook which may be engageable about the rain or drip gutter associated with many vehicles. One such roof rack is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,495,750 to Oliveira. Other types of conventional roof racks may include structure whereby the frame of the racks does not engage the roof of the vehicle but is only mounted to the rain gutters of the vehicle utilizing rigid and flexible hook-like devices. An example of such a structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,116,861 to Spence.
Over the years, automotive manufacturers have sought to develop car designs offering low wind resistance. As a result, newer automotive vehicles do not incorporate rain or drip gutters and the doors are mounted generally flush with the surrounding body structure and roof line. Because of this, different types of mounting arrangements for supporting roof racks and carriers were developed for engaging the ledge or bead associated with the roof in the area of the door opening. Typically, such attachment devices incorporate V-shaped hooks which are pulled tight against a lip formed at the edge of the roof in the area of the door. Some examples of such structures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,586,638 to Prescott et al., 4,684,049 to Maby et al, and 4,995,538 to Marengo.
Unfortunately, such hook type engagement devices for mounting roof racks and carriers to the roof of automotive vehicles do not provide secure anchors and rely upon the tension placed on the hooks as they are pulled against the edge of the roof. Under some conditions the hooks can slide relative to the roof thereby allowing the roof racks or article carriers to shift, especially if sufficient tension is not placed on the hooks when they are installed. In addition, not all roof designs provide sufficient ledges in the area of the door frame to permit hook type devices to be utilized to securely anchor roof racks and article carriers.
Other examples of anchoring systems for automobile roof racks and article carriers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,423,253 to Potts et al., 4,452,385 to Prosen, 4,681,247 to Prosen, and 5,014,890 to Perry.